Letter to the Editor for July 29, 2019

Be firm in your resolve to protect our freedoms

Faced with government intrusion into nearly every aspect of our lives, the Constitution is our contract with the federal government and the document to which we turn for clarification of proposed laws. Determining the constitutional legality of legislation is ultimately the role of the U.S. Supreme Court. Standing against the taking of a constitutional right is also a right held by “We, the people . . .”

The Second Amendment is vital for our personal and national security and is the most concise amendment in the Bill of Rights. We have a compelling need to retain this right in light of the disunity across our nation which encourages criminal behavior against the innocent. It should not be subject to misunderstanding or modification. Repeated attacks on the simply expressed “. . . shall not be infringed . . .” represent the persistence of forces seeking to disarm the public.

Unfortunately, we have seen a shift from our historic roots as a Constitutional Republic to an ever expanding Socialist-inspired perversion currently billed as “Democracy.” The key feature of this expansion of government has been the taking of money by government — local, state and federal — from the citizens and then redistributing the wealth to insure compliance with government mandates. Current examples of local overreach abound as the Oregon legislature moves to constrain each individual’s proprietary rights in their ownership of firearms. Sheriffs around the state are speaking out, stating they will not enforce unconstitutional laws if passed. This may be the start of the silent majority no longer remaining silent.

If you understand the seriousness of the attacks on you and on your family’s freedom, talk to your friends and neighbors and begin to contact your representatives in government at all levels. If you are angry, it is best to wait to write or call. For the best chance of them considering your point of view be reasonable, be direct and be firm. Most especially, be firm in your resolve that it is now past time for us all to stand against those who would destroy the most advanced culture ever developed by a free people.